Noida authority mulling plan to build underpass at Kisan Chowk

The intersection is congested throughout the day and the condition worsens during the peak hour. Motorists, particularly office goers, from Ghaziabad, Hapur, Greater Noida and Noida, among other areas, use this traffic intersection daily.

The Greater Noida authority on Thursday said it is mulling over a proposal to construct an underpass at Kisan Chowk to provide a seamless commute to thousands of commuters and ease jams.

Kisan Chowk is the biggest and busiest traffic intersection in Greater Noida west. It witnesses a large volume of traffic daily. It is located at the Noida-Greater Noida border and there is a high volume of traffic from all four sides.

The intersection is congested throughout the day and the condition worsens during the peak hour. Motorists, particularly office goers, from Ghaziabad, Hapur, Greater Noida and Noida, among other areas, use this traffic intersection daily.

Residents of Sector 1 have also been demanding an underpass at this junction to ease congestion.

“We are likely to hire a transport planner for conducting a study and suggest ways to decongest congestion-ridden intersections, including Kisan Chowk. We hope to select a transport planner next month,” Debasish Panda, the chief executive officer of the Greater Noida authority, said.

The Kisan Chowk is surrounded by dozens of newly built group housing apartment complexes and residents of these buildings said the intersection needs to be revamped at the earliest.

“As of now, only 30,000-40,000 families have been shifted to sectors 1 and 16 in Greater Noida west. However, as around 3 lakh apartments are to be occupied in the next three to four years, traffic volume at this intersection will increase exponentially. Also, Crossings Republik, a hub of apartment complexes, is located nearby, adding to jams at Kisan Chowk. We have been demanding an underpass at this busy intersection,” Kunal Sidana, a resident of Panchsheel Apartment in Greater Noida, who has his office in Noida, said.

The Greater Noida authority in 2014 had widened the slip roads to ease jams at Kisan Chowk.

“Widening of slip roads had provided some relief but during the peak hour, motorists face long snarls. At times, it takes more than half an hour to cross this intersection,” Vivek Jain, a resident of Sector 1, said.

Some residents had written to UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath demanding an underpass at Kisan Chowk.

“The CM’s office sought a reply from the Greater Noida authority following the residents’ demand. We replied that the authority is mulling over a proposal to build an underpass,” a Greater Noida authority official said.